Tummy Tuck vs. Ab Exercises: 3 Main Differences

Bikini season is here and bare midriffs are everywhere. From the pool to the hiking trail to magazine covers, there’s no shortage of abs on display. If you’ve ever marveled at someone’s ripped six-pack or beautifully toned midsection and wondered why no amount of crunches seems to get you the same results, you may wish to take a closer look at what ab exercises can do for you compared to a tummy tuck.

1. Tummy Tuck Removes Loose Skin

Some people can do every crunch under the sun and never achieve a six-pack. This is because loose abdominal skin disguises your natural muscle tone, no matter how strong your abdominals are. Individuals who have lost a good deal of weight or been pregnant often struggle with extra skin, which can only be corrected with a tummy tuck.*

2. Tummy Tuck Resolves Muscle Separation

Post-pregnancy women or post-weight loss patients may experience something known as diastasis recti, a separation of the abdominal muscles. In some, the separation is minimal, and can be improved through targeted exercise. However, in more severe cases, only a full tummy tuck can correct abdominal separation.*

Women with serious abdominal muscle separation should skip abdominal exercises altogether, because they can be harmful in this situation. Diastasis recti leaves the core weak, and the internal organs are vulnerable without muscular protection.

3. Exercise Strengthens the Abdomen

While abdominoplasty can be effective in treating cosmetic concerns and repairing muscle separation, a tummy tuck can’t actually make your abs stronger. Since only your hard work can achieve that, don’t ditch the ab work just yet if a strong core is part of your goal.

*This information is for education only, and is not meant as a guarantee of results. Your results may vary.

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Individual experience, results, and recovery may vary. Results shown on our site are not a guarantee of the results you can achieve. Unless otherwise noted, images on this site are of models, not actual patients.

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